A Brief Summary of the Panel Discussion Entitled “Balochistan: A Human Rights-Free Zone” Held on Human Rights Day, 10th December 2024, at Quetta Press Club Panel Participants:
1. Kaseef Kakar (HRCP Balochistan Chapter)
2. Mama Qadeer Baloch (Voice for Baloch Missing Persons – VBMP)
3. Beebarg Baloch (Central Member, Baloch Youth Council – BYC)
The panelists discussed various aspects of human rights violations in Balochistan, focusing on the lack of implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as well as the Constitution of Pakistan (1973), which has adopted fundamental human rights principles.
Key Issues Discussed:
1. Freedom of Speech
2. Freedom of Movement
3. Right to Fair Trial of Detainees
4. Abolition of Slavery
5. Enforced Disappearances
6. Freedom of Assembly Despite being a signatory to international human rights declarations, Pakistan has failed to implement these rights, particularly in Balochistan.
Specific Points Raised:
1. Enforced Disappearances:
• Enforced disappearances officially began in 2005. Asma Jahangir, a renowned human rights activist, filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan at the time.
• The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances is considered biased and ineffective, providing no substantial relief. Cases of enforced disappearances have only increased over time.
• Panelists criticized the state’s complicity in human rights violations while it remains a signatory to international declarations.
2. Beebarg Baloch’s Remarks:
• He highlighted that while Human Rights Day is observed to protect human rights globally, the state authorities in Balochistan deliberately undermine these rights.
• He pointed out the heavy deployment of police, Frontier Corps, and intelligence agencies outside the Quetta Press Club on the day of the event.
• Beebarg also condemned the militarization of universities and colleges across Balochistan, where students face excessive profiling, interrogation, and card checks, creating psychological distress.
He noted that students feel like they are “crossing borders” when entering their institutions.
3. Mama Qadeer Baloch’s Remarks:
• Mama Qadeer reflected on his 15 years of struggle for human rights, despite daily threats from state authorities.
• He revealed that state agencies have repeatedly ordered him to dismantle his sit-in camp, threatened his life, burned down the camp several times, and placed his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
• He stated that over 8,000 Baloch individuals are missing and 20,000 mutilated bodies have been recovered so far.
He challenged state authorities, asserting that he could provide a complete list of the missing persons to anyone willing to review it.
Conclusion: The panelists emphasized that the state’s actions contradict its commitments to human rights, both nationally and internationally. The discussion underscored the urgent need for transparency, justice, and the implementation of basic human rights in Balochistan.